Engine-valve.



LE GRAND SKINNBR.

ENGINE VALVE.

k APPLIOATION I'ILED JULY 13, 1910. 990,305. Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

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LE GRAND SKINNER.

ENGINE VALVE.

11221110111011 rum) JULY 13, 1910.

990,305. I Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

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LE GRAND SKINNER, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Application filed July 13, 1910. Serial No. 571,766.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ln GRAND SKINNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Valves; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to steam engine valves, and particularly to valvesof the rotary type, and has for its object the combination with a rotarysteam engine valve, of one or more cylindrical shells between the valveplate resting upon the valve and the steam chest cover in such a mannerthat the valve is largely relieved from the normal pressure of steam inthe steam chest and the ordinary wear of the valve is compensated for,so that while the valve is at all times retained in proper contact withthe valveseat, yet it is free from undue pressure of the steam thereon.

I am aware of the fact that it is not new to apply rectangular balancingplates torotary valves, and balancing shells or cylinders to slidevalves, but I am not aware of any construction having been made in whichcylindrical balancing. shells have been combined and used with rotaryvalves prior to my invention thereof, as there are many difiiculties tobe overcome in the application of cylindrical balancing mechanism asheretofore used on slide valves to a rotary valve so as to produce theresults above noted.

The features of my invention are hereinafter fully set forth andexplained and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows in elevation a steam engine cylinder embodying myinvention with parts thereof broken away. Fig. 2 shows an enlargedsection of a portion of a steam engine cylinder with my improved valvemechanism therein. Fig. 3 is a top or plan View of my improved valvemechanism with the valve-chest cover removed. Fig. 4 is a transversesection of a steam engine cylinder through one of the valve chambersshowing the valve mechanism partly in elevation and partly in section.Fig. 5, shows a modified construction of the balancing mechanism of myimproved valve.

In the drawings illustratin my invention, A, is an engine cylinder, Athe piston of the engine, B, the steam chest, and C, a steam inlet pipeon the top thereof. At each end of the steam-chest, B, invalve-chambers, B, there is a steam inlet valve, D, operated by means ofvalve-rods, E, E, in the usual manner, and at the bottom of the ends ofthe cylinder, A, there are the usual exhaust valves, F, F, operated byvalve-rods, G, G, in the usual manner.

The inlet valves, D, are mounted on valveseats, H, preferably providedwith ports, 11, h, and the valves, D, are provided with centralchambers, D, extending transversely therethrough into which the steampasses from the valve chambers, B. In the lower surface of the valve, D,I make a direct port, (Z, and also a recess, d, which operate when thevalve is rotated, to open it, first to admit steam to both ports, k, andh, through triple port openings, 1, 2 and 3, in the valve, D, and whenthe valve, D, is further rotated toward and to its full open point, theport, cl, coincides with the valve-seat port, it, and the port, (1 ofthe valve coincides with the valve-seat port, h.

In the upper part, D of the valve, D, there is a longitudinal recess, (Zwhich communicates with the valve chamber, B, and resting on the top, Dof the valve, D, there is a valve-plate, I, the under face of which isconcaved to form a bearing for the upper half, D of the valve, andthrough this plate there is a passage, 2', communicating with therecess, d, in the upper part of the valve, D. This plate I, is providedwith lugs, I, at its ends and at intervals along its sides, whichcontact with lugs, b, at the ends and sides of the valve chamber, B, andmoves freely up and down therein.

On the top of the valve-plate, I, there is adjustably secured one ormore cylindrical shells, J, closed at the bottom, and preferablyadjustably secured to the inside of the valve-chamber cover, K, thereare like cylindrical shells, L, closed at their upper ends within whichthe shells, J, telescope, so as to form a cylindrical chamber, J,between said shells, and to make a steam-tight joint between said shellsI provide packing rings, j, in the periphery of the shell, J. From thechamber, J, I provide a passage, 9', connected by pipe connections M, M,with the pipes, M, with a branch pipe, M, leading therefrom, so that thebalancing action of all of the chambers, J, is uniformly exerted on theback of the valve-plate, I. These balancing chambers, J, cut ofi thelive steam fromthe greater part of the area of the valve-plate, I, and afurther portion of the pressure thereon is counterbalanced by the steamin the recess (Z between the top of the valve, D, and the under side ofthe plate, I. The remainder of the plate, I, subject to the steampressure in the valve-chamber, B, is suflicient to retain the valveplate I, in contact with the top, D of the valve, D, and the freevertical movement of the valve plate, I, also operates to take up anywear of the valve, D, on the valve-seat, so that the parts are always inoperative condition.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modified construction of the mechanism formingchambers, J In this construction the upper shell, L, is open at its top,and between the upper edge of its periphery and the inside face of thevalve-chamber cover, K, I make a steam-tight joint in the usual manner,and to keep the shell, L, in close contact with the valve-chamber coverwhen there is no steam in the valve-chamber, B, I provide springs, Z,between the lower edge of the shell", L and the topof the valve-plate,I. Otherwise the structure shown in Fig. 5, is constructed the same, andproduces like results as that hereinbefore described.

For lubricating the valve mechanism hereinbefore described, I connectthe stem of a lubricator through an opening, 79, in the valve-chambercover, K, whence the oil drops down into a recess, I, in the top of thevalve-plate, I, and thence passes down through a hole, 2', leading fromthe bottom of the recess, I through the valve-plate, L, where itcommunicates with the longitudinal recess, CF, in the top, D of thevalve, D, which recess operates to distribute the oil both ways alongthe top of the valve between it and the under surface of the valveplate, I, thereby lubricating the valve mechanism, after which the oilpasses through the ports, h, and 71 into the cylinder, A.

In operation the mechanism hereinbefore described not only reduces thepressure of the steam in the valve-chamber, B, upon the valve-plate, I,and therefore of the valve, D, upon the valve-seat, H, but the recess 03in the top, D of the valve, D, also operates to reduce the pressure ofthe valve-plate, I,

upon the valve, D, and at the same time diminishes the friction betweenthe valve-plate I, and thetop of the valve, D.

l. The combination in a steam engine of a concave valve seat in a valvechamber, having steamports therein, a rotary valve having steam portstherein operating on said valve-seat, a valve-plate concaved on itsunder surface resting upon the top of the valve, a cylindrical shellsecured to the top of the valve-plate, a cylindrical shell contactingwith the under surface of the valve chamber cover, and telescopicallyconnecting with the cylindrical shell on the valve-plate so as to forman inclosed chamber between said shells, and means connecting saidchamber with the engine exhaust, substantially as set forth. 1

2. The combination of a steam engine cylinder having a valve-chamber andsteamchest communicating therewith, a concave valve-seat in saidvalve-chamber having steam-ports therein, a hollow rotary valve havingports therein and a recess in the upper part thereof operating on saidvalveseat, a valve-plate having its upper surface concaved resting uponsaid rotary valve, a cylindrical shell secured to the top of saidvalve-plate, a cylindrical shell contacting with the under surface ofthe valve-chamber cover, and telescopically connecting with the shell onthe valve-plate so as to form an inclosed chamber, means for connectingthe valve-chamber with the recess in the upper part of the valve, andmeans connecting said inclosed: chamber with the engine exhaust,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a steam engine, of a concave valve-seat in avalve-chamber having steam-ports therein, a rotary valve havingsteam-ports therein operating on said valve-seat, a valve-plate concavedon its under surface resting upon the top of said rotary valve, a seriesof cylindrical shells secured to the top of said valve-plate, a seriesof like shells contacting with the under surface of the valve-chambercovered and telescopically connecting with the shells on the valve plateso as to form inclosed chambers between said shells, pipe connectionsbetween said chambers and a pipe connection therefrom to the engineexhaust, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination in a steam-engine, of a concave valve-seat havingduplicate steam ports therein, a hollow rotary valve having a directsteam port and a longitudinal groove in the bottom thereof operating asa steam-port as the valve is rotated to open it whereby triple steaminlets to the valveseat ports are provided, a valve-plate concaved onits under surface resting upon the top of the valve, hollow shellssecured to the top of the valve-plate, like hollow shells adjustablysecured to the under surface of the valve-chamber cover andtelescopically connecting with the shells on the valve-plate so as toform inclosed chambers between said shells, pipe connections betweensaid chambers, and a pipe connection therefrom to the engine exhaust,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a steam engine, of a concave valve-seat in avalve-chamber having steam ports therein, a hollow rotary valveoperating on said valve-seat having steam ports therein and also havinga longitudinal recess in the top thereof, a valveplate concaved on itsunder surface resting upon the top of said rotary valve, and hav- 111gan oil opening therem communicating with the recess in the top of thevalve, hollow shells adjustably secured to the top of said valve-plate,like hollow shells adjustably secured to the under surface of thevalve-chamber cover and telescopically connected with the shells on thevalve-plate so as to form inclosed chambers between said shells, pistonrings between said shells to make the telescopic joints between themsubstantially steam-tight, pipe connections between the chambers formedby said shells, and a pipe connection communicating therefrom to theengine exhaust, substantlally as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LE GRAND SKINNER.

Vitnesses F. M. STURGEON, I. V. Girrom).

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

